Eternity
by Moonlit Seductress
Summary: She follows. Always follows. But she is getting tired of following...


Disclaimer: I don't own anything Inuyasha-related. It'd be nice though – now you all know what to get me for Christmas!

A/N: Ok, so I haven't written in a while. I just haven't felt like it. My muse has been hiding out on me, sticking out her tongue and laughing. Anyways – this is not my first attempt at an Inuyasha story, but I took the first one down – it needed refurbishing. I'm hoping to get better results with this one. I'm trying out a different writing style, so I don't know how well it'll work. Enjoy!

**Eternity **

By: Moonlit Seductress

"You foolish human girl! Can't you do anything without screwing up? Your very presence makes a mockery of our great and terrible lord, and of myself! And – are you even listening to me?"

"No," came the indifferent reply. Jaken stomped one of his slimy green feet in frustration, and turned bulging eyes on the sky. "Why, milord? Why do you abandon your loyal and sworn retainer while you wander off to see the half-breed scum and his insignificant companions? Why do you leave me here, with this human, who is bent on driving me insane? Why do you insist on subjecting me to this torture? Have I not proved myself time and again, that I am worthy of being your companion, and accompany you on your voyages? Have I not – gah!"

The little toad's rambling diatribe was interrupted by the rather large rock that bounced off his head. Furious, the demon whirled around to glare at his attacker, who had her dark eyes trained on the book on her lap. "Rin!" he exclaimed. "What was that for?" But the girl merely shrugged, eyes not leaving the page.

"You annoy me," she said simply, unaware that her voice sounded much like that of her lord. She lifted her gaze from her book to focus on the toad's indignantly swelling form. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she noticed that he bore a deep resemblance to the fat bullfrogs that sat in the pond and croaked, puffing up and deflating again. Rising gracefully to her feet, she tossed her ebony hair over her shoulder. She glanced down at Jaken – once again relishing the fact that she had to look _down_, not up – and gave him a slight shove.

"Stop that. Soon, our lord will be back, and you will once again resume your place…at his side." Her sentence tapered off into silence, her normally light and cheery voice resonating with sourness and hurt. "And I will be expected to frolic and play. 'Please return to me, Sesshomaru-sama'." She mocked her own voice, reliving babyish words from long ago.

And as she moved away, headed for a favourite tree to climb, a bitter thought ran through her head. _How could he return to you, when he was never yours?_

* * *

Rin returned from deep within her memories with a jolt. Wiping away tears that she hadn't even realized were shed, she took a firm hold of that particular recollection, and examined it critically.

She had been thirteen then – thirteen, and old enough to begin to understand. Old enough to know that her cute, childish mannerisms and ideas were no longer appropriate. Old enough to finally comprehend what she had refused to for all those years – that _he_ was not _hers _– and that she had no place in his world.

Closing her eyes against the sudden flow of tears that ebbed again, she reached even further back into her memories. She could remember a time when she would cry alone, concealed somewhere where Jaken would not find her, and pray for her lord to return safely. She could remember a time when she had stood alone, letting the gentle wind that rustled the grasses flow through her hair, and she sang her song, words soft and childlike, floating away into the azure skies. She could remember a time, even further back than that, when she woke from endless sleep to find a sword raised over her, steady golden eyes observing her from above, watching her draw in a breath that should have never been. She could remember a time, further still, when she first beheld him, sitting under that tree, silver hair moving with the breeze and something in her young, broken heart had started to heal.

And then, that poor, patched up heart had again been dashed into many pieces. He had never returned. She could remember her fifteen-year-old self, standing alone, letting the gentle wind that rustled the grasses flow through her hair. She could remember the tears that dried on her cheeks, as her voice, no longer high and piping with a juvenile timbre, lifted in song – that same song, from so long ago. In faint hope and fervent desperation, she reached inside herself and sang the little tune with a childlike prayer that it would somehow bring him back. As it always had done.

But it did not bring him back. He was gone. Gone without a trace, a goodbye, a promise, anything. Just gone. And she waited.

Years came and went. She turned sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. All passed without celebration. What was there to celebrate? Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-one. And still she waited.

By the still tender age of twenty-two, Rin could wait no longer. She packed her bags, took her horse, and disappeared into a cloudy, rainy night.

She rode hard and fast, stopping as little as possible, in order to put as much distance between her and the castle of her lord. She did not stop until she reached a forest, and a village – the village of Inuyasha. She could hardly remember the strangely dressed girl that opened the door of the house. But the girl invited her in, gave her warm clothes and a hot meal, and listened to her story. After some time, the door opened again, and a passing shaft of moonlight caught the silver hair of the person entering.

She had gasped, and sprang to her feet – only to realize that it was not him. It was his half brother, looking as young and brash as she could recall. Inuyasha had inquired about her presence, and it was then that Rin remembered the name of the girl – Kagome.

The half demon's already suspicious expression darkened when Rin told who she was, and his hand rested on the hilt of the sword he wore at the mention of his brother's name. But he did not know where the demon lord was – only that he had left them nine years ago. There had been no further contact.

Refusing Kagome's offer to stay, Rin rode again. She ended up in the village she was born in, and traded a few of her kimonos for lodging and food. That night, she walked a little beyond the village boundaries, stopping by a large tree. She stared at it for a long time, before turning and walking away, closing the door on that part of her life.

She spent the next year training in the tiny village. She learned to fight, shoot, and hunt. She spent time with the village priestess, and learned of healing and herbs. Her twenty-third birthday passed. It had now been ten years since she had seen her lord.

* * *

Then, one fateful day, Rin's carefully constructed world was turned upside down. She had been out in the forest, gathering some plants for her mentor, the priestess, when the slightest rustle of the leaves caught her attention. Without hesitation, she drew her bow, shot an arrow into the bushes, and stood poised, another on the string.

There was a light snap from within the shrubbery, and a soft, hissing noise. The pieces of her arrow flew out at her, landing at her feet. They were melted – a bright, shimmering poison was still liquefying them. But before Rin could kneel to inspect them, there was the quickest flash of movement. She just barely caught it, from the corner of her eye. Suddenly, she found herself face to face with a tall, proud figure, dressed all in white. Her breath caught in her throat.

He stood before her, steady golden eyes observing her from above, silver hair moving with the breeze. Those piercing eyes narrowed, as he looked at her, and there was the smallest flare of his nostrils. The barest hint of emotion crossed his impassive face – but what emotion, she could not tell. He then turned slightly, no longer watching her.

"Come, Rin."

That rich, deep voice washed over her, and she shuddered. How she had longed to hear it, just one more time.

But wait…yes, his voice was wonderful, but his words less so. Did he expect her to just follow along after him, as she had done for so long?

_No_, she thought vehemently. _I will not tag along after him, like a lost puppy. It has been ten years – does he think I'll just skip happily along, like I was a child again?_ She opened her mouth, to respond, but something odd was happening.

Her feet were moving – quite without her consent. They took her after him, following as he walked ahead. She tried to stop, but her feet would not cooperate. She tried to speak, but the words that fell from her lips were not what was floating through her mind.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama."

Hating herself with every step, Rin walked those few paces behind him.

And so they walked – the terrible demon lord, and his silently following charge.

* * *

Rin returned from deep within her memories with a jolt. Wiping away tears that she hadn't even realized were shed, she took a firm hold of that particular recollection, and examined it critically.

She had been twenty-three then – twenty-three, and old enough to make her own decisions. Old enough to have stayed behind, if she wished. Old enough to finally comprehend what she had refused to for all those years – that _she_ was _his_ – even if she did not want to be.

Closing her eyes against the sudden flow of tears that ebbed again, she reached even further back into her memories. She could remember a time when she would cry alone, concealed somewhere where her teachers would not find her, and pray for her lord to return. She could remember a time when she had stood alone, letting the gentle wind that rustled the grasses flow through her hair, and she thought of him, fading in her memories. She could remember a time when she first beheld him, after all those years, standing before her, steady golden eyes observing her from above, silver hair moving with the breeze, and something in her young, broken heart had started to heal again.

And now, as she stood waiting for him to start walking again, so she could follow, she smiled slightly – a sad, poignant little smile. Yes, she was his, even if he was not hers. But it did not matter. Because, want to or not, she would always follow, always wait.

_For all eternity._

The End

A/N: There we go. I appreciate all forms of feedback, even flames. They're funny. Thanks a lot!


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